


Convalescence

by gay_ships_on_road_trips



Category: Mother 1 | EarthBound Zero | EarthBound Beginnings, Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Mother 3
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brotherly Love, Crossover Pairings, Depression, Earthbound - Freeform, F/M, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Gen, I don’t know what to tag this, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kinda, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Mother-Son Relationship, Multi, Near Death Experiences, Other, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Panic Attacks, Past Torture, Past Violence, Post canon, Recovery, References to Depression, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Suicidal actions, aka the dark dragon, homestuck quadrants in earthbound because i said so, if you came here for homestuck, its mostly a happy ending au tbh, kind of, kumatora and lucas are pale, lucas has a dragon, mother 3 - Freeform, no you didn’t ❤️, or moirails if you’re technical, slight gore, sorry about that, that tag right there uhhh, that’s actually a tag wow, wowie that’s a lot of tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:20:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25432243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_ships_on_road_trips/pseuds/gay_ships_on_road_trips
Summary: The second apocalypse isn’t worthy of its name, really. A boy got a new dragon for his quests upon things children should never have to go through.Everything is done, and life can go back to (somewhat) normal.A figure in a field of sunflowers proves that life will never be the same.
Relationships: Claus (Mother 3)/Ninten (Mother 1), Lucas/Kumatora, Lucas/Ness
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

He could’ve swore he was seeing things.

Upon that field of the brightest gold, shining with the warmest sunlight akin to a family’s love, there was a hint of grey.

The smallest, tiniest hint of grey, between the honey colored flowers, rests quietly.

It had been any other day for Lucas, really. His curtains had been flown open, the wild nest of pink hair to greet his eyes.

“Wake up, I didn’t have a sleepover with you to actually sleep.” Kumatora had said, when Lucas had cracked his eyes open.

“We saved humanity itself yesterday, I deserve some sleep,” his groggy voice replied, closing his eyes again, a playful groan coming from the girl in front of him.

“Well, yeah, but, we’re kids. Let’s do something besides lay around.” She chimes, jostling Lucas with a firm hand.

A lick from behind him soon confirmed that hand was, actually, not a hand, but a thirty pound dog.

“Alright, alright, I’m up,” says Lucas, sitting up. Kumatora laughs and sits on the end of the bed.

“By the way,” Kumatora starts, “I think your dad officially hates bacon now. It’s kind of funny, actually.”

Lucas snickered and lightly pat Boney’s head. “Yeah, I bet! I couldn’t eat that after what kind of creatures we met. Not to mention...”

“Exactly. We shall not mention thy name of evil. Now get up, dammit, you know I’m constantly wanting to do something exciting.”

Lucas chuckled, “Yeah, I know you are. I did promise my dad something though.”

Kumatora raises an eyebrow. “What kind of something?”

Lucas sighed. “I just... wanted to talk with Mom again.”

Kumatora’s smile and playfulness died completely, a sympathetic look across her face. “Oh,” she states, “Sorry. Now I feel like a jerk.”

“No, it’s okay,” Lucas quickly raises his hands to his chest, palms facing out. “I need some normal experiences if I’m going to be with Dad. You know how he can get sometimes.”

“Would it be okay if I came along?”

“Sure! It’s a hike over there too, so, it’s not like it’ll be a relaxing trip.”

Kumatora’s playful grin reappears, “You know me well.”

“Of course I do, you don’t save the world with just anybody you find on the streets.”

Kumatora rolls her eyes. “Sure, like thats not how we met anyway.”

“That doesn’t count!” Lucas laughs, causing Kumatora to laugh along with him. Boney lays between both of them, rolling over for Lucas to pet his belly. A small knock on the door interrupts the three, Flint opening the door after his knock.

“Good morning, you two. I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m sure you’re both hungry. You too, Boney,” Flint adds.

“Yeah, okay,” Lucas replies, throwing back the covers and his legs over the side. “Is Charcoal outside?”

“Yeah, about him,” Flint sighs, “he’s outside, yeah. Gives me a heart attack every time I see him. He got a cave or something so he doesn’t set fire to our lawn when he sneezes?”

Lucas laughs sheepishly. “I’ll see if I can get him to go back to his hoard, Dad.”

“Thanks. I don’t like putting out fires every ten minutes.” Flint chuckles as he leaves the room. Kumatora grabs Lucas’ arm and tugs lightly.

“C’mon. I’ll be waiting outside with Charcoal.” she says, hopping off the bed. Lucas nods as she runs out of the open door, Boney following after her with his tail swishing side to side.

Lucas stands up and stretches his arms out, yawning. He quickly changes out of his sleeping clothes, putting on his signature outfit and fixing his bed head.

Picking up a box on the drawer, he walks outside of his bedroom and over to the kitchen, Flint holding a plate of scrambled eggs and toast.

“You can eat outside with Kuma, if you want,” he says, gesturing the plate towards the door. Lucas says quick thanks and takes the plate with a nod.

“Hey, Dad, you wouldn’t mind if she came with us to the cemetery, would you?” Lucas adds before opening the door to walk outside to the awaiting dragon and best-friend.

“Of course she can come,” Flint says, smiling. “Hinawa would love to see her again, I bet. Especially after the second apocalypse scare.” His smile fades into a bit more of a saddened upturn of his lips, his eyes wandering away from Lucas’. “I thought I was gonna lose you, too.”

Lucas sets his plate down on the countertop and walks over to Flint, wrapping him in a hug (to the best of his abilities). Flint chuckles a bit, then crouches down to his height, hugging back.

“I know you’re still here, but...” he starts. Lucas cuts him off before he can start, though.

“Dad, it’s over. The pigmasks are gone, the needles have been pulled, the second apocalypse happened already. We’re okay now, right? Even if now I have a pet dragon, things are back to somewhat normal.”

“You’re so much like her, you know. Somehow you’re still a kid, and I’m still some old coot crying like a little old lady.”

Kumatora’s voice cut between both of them. “You guys alright? You were taking a while,” before she cuts off at the sight.

Flint stands back up and nods as Lucas looks over to Kumatora. “Yeah, we’re alright. Sorry to keep you waiting.” Lucas picks up his plate again and nods as well, Kumatora simply walking back out again, looking slightly embarrassed to interrupt the two.

The three sit down on the grass outside, Lucas having to shield his eyes for a moment. A huff of steam blows strongly behind him, and the long face of a dragon cranes over him.

“Hey, Charcoal,” Lucas laughs, the dragon laying it’s neck to the side now that it has his attention. He sits with his legs crossed and places a hand on the bridge of the matte black scales. “You don’t need to wait for me outside my door, you know. People are still kinda scared about the whole false-alarm-of-a-second-apocalypse thing.”

“Yeah, scales,” Flint chimes in, “I don’t need people with weapons intent on destruction showing up trying to gut my son’s dragon.”

A huff of smoke promptly shuts him up, instead sending him into a coughing fit.

“I know he’s cool, but I’m hungry. You gonna eat?” Kumatora chimes. Lucas chuckles and nods.

“Yeah, yeah.”

The three humans talked about various things, occasionally interrupted by a dog wanting belly rubs or a cloud of smoke aimed towards Flint. Quickly enough they had finished their breakfasts, Lucas taking the dishes back inside.

While inside, he notices the eye of a dragon outside of the window, looking determined about... something. He walks back out as the dragon’s eyes follow him, wings slightly extending.

“What is it, Charcoal?”

Huff of steam and a tail slap. A garbled noise follows.

I am here for a purpose.

“What do you mean?”

Get your boon companion, and your... male antecedent.

Lucas turns back to his father and Kumatora. “I think Charcoal wants to show us something important, guys.”

“We talking end of the world important or temper tantrum important?” Flint asks, getting a puff of smoke in his face as an answer.

“This is the dark dragon, Dad, I think things are important with him in general. Where do we go?”

Visit your female antecedent, as you had put it.

“Well?” Flint says.

Lucas nods at Charcoal, then looks to his father. “I guess he’s just impatient to see Mom.”

“Thank the lord it isn’t that we have to go through everything you did again.”

The dragon motions it’s head towards its back, standing up and extending its wings. Lucas nods again. “He’s offering if we would want to ride up instead of walk.”

Kumatora is already on his back, much to a disgruntled look on the dragon’s face. “Hell yeah!”

“How about you, Dad?” Lucas says, holding onto his box while crawling on top of the dragon.

Flint shakes his head. “You two can ride if you’d want, but I’m loyal to my wife. I’m taking the hike.”

The dragon rolls his eyes, stubborn hairless ape.

Flint stands up and looks to the mountain. “I’ll get there before you guys, even. Tride and true.”

Another eyeroll makes the two children on the dragon’s back giggle, as he flaps his wings and hovers slightly.

“By the way, Lucas,” Kumatora asks, “mind telling me how you tamed a dragon? And why I wasn’t around to join you?!”

“Oh, yeah, I didn’t tell you yet, did I?”

We will travel while you tell your tale, young Lucas.

“Well, when the needle was pulled, I know you guys had already lost consciousness. The earthquake and all that stuff, it was scary too. I came face to face with a giant dragon with red eyes. I thought he was gonna eat me in one bite, especially since I didn’t have you guys to help me.”

Yes, child, however my appearance did not cause you to flee.

“Yeah, I didn’t run from him. I was frozen, kind of, if I’m honest. But he didn’t attack me, not at all. We just... looked at each other for a while. After a moment, he started speaking, and I understood him. He had said his rein of destruction to come was simply not true, and that rather, he’s been sealed by the needles after his first outburst because of the terror he caused.”

I do admit, I was but a youth with an ember flame of rage towards humanity.

“So, we kind of just... talked for a bit. As you know, the apocalypse didn’t happen and soon enough the world went steady again. Charcoal said that I was a prophet, that a boy predicted I would be the next savior, the final one of three. As such, he said he was ‘loyal to me as an eternal servant’, but I didn’t really like that, so now we do favors for each other as friends.”

He did not wish to use me ‘sif I were but that of a peasant’s slave. It is... a nice change of pace, I would rather not say to my old masters.

“Yeah. Anyway, both of us had made sure the rest of you were alright. That’s why you woke up near the river with the others, since we wanted to clean up the blood. Boney woke up first, though, and tried to attack Charcoal. Eventually, the two stopped thinking the other was going to hurt me. I was mostly their translator, haha.”

Duster followed in his wake.

“Yeah, Duster woke up next, but he passed out at the look of Charcoal. That’s why he still doesn’t know, haha. Eventually, we just got you guys back to your own homes, except for you, because you woke up in the middle of the flight there.”

Kumatora starts laughing. “Yeah, I know the story on from here.”

“Hey, kids, we’re about a minute away.” Flint interrupts. Lucas nods as Charcoal lands on his feet, wings slowly coming to a stop and moving to allow the two children off of him.

Kumatora slides off while Lucas carefully gets down, still holding the box carefully.

The family stops at the grave, Hinawa’s name written on it. Neither Lucas nor Kumatora knew where Flint had gotten the bunch of flowers in his hands, but it was there, white roses and sunflowers mixed together.

“Your son did it, honey,” Flint says, voice softer than usual, “he saved the world from the thing that... made me lose you. Would you believe we have the so called bringer of the second apocalypse right behind us? I don’t know how Lucas did it, but he did.”

Lucas chimes in, “Yeah, me either, really. I can only hope that you and Claus are happy together in the clouds.”

Kumatora makes a face, but Lucas is too focused on his message. “I hope you forgive him, too. It wasn’t really him, either. I may not be able to remember much of either of you, but... I love you both.”

Flint places down his bunch of flowers, and keeps his head down. After a moment, he mutters something along the lines of giving him a moment, and stands back up to walk to the tree, feet over the cliff line.

“Lucas?” Kumatora asks. Lucas looks over to her after a moment of battling with his own tears.

“Yeah?” His voice quavers a bit. Kumatora looks sympathetic, but determined to something.

Young Lucas, on my back. Lucas nods after a moment and places down his box, being pulled in by a wing. Before he knows it, he’s at the bottom of the cliff, the field of sunflowers around him, for reasons he doesn’t know.

That’s when he saw it.

The sliver of grey.

“Hello...?” Lucas calls out to it, nervous of the worst. No response comes. “I’m not afraid to attack if I need to.” That’s a lie, he’s terrified.

A crinkle of flowers is his response. He steps closer towards the laying figure, and catches a glimpse of orange, a very, very familiar shade of orange, with black and white.

“I know you’re awake, or, uh, alive? Who are you?”

A very robotic, rough voice responds to him.

“I am the Masked Man. If you are hearing this, you must get me to a power source. It is your duty. Failing to comply will result in your execution of order of King Pork.”

Lucas quickly turns over the body. Claus’ face was bleeding, and his helmet was completely shattered next to him. Orange hair flattened to a mess, cowlick gone.

“Claus? Claus?!” Lucas had shouted out. There was no response. “Claus, you’re alive?!”

The rise and fall of his chest and the beat of his pulse confirmed that, yes, he was here, and alive.

One robotic eye shot open and stares into Lucas’ own human eyes. His mouth stays closed, but a computer generated voice sounds from his chest.

“Lucas?”

“Claus!!”

“I’m... alive?”

“You’re alive!!” Lucas nearly tackles him into a hug. Claus looks confused and weak, but has a strong gloss over his eyes of pure emotion.

“I’m alive, for now, it seems,” Claus says. “If I were to use my real voice, it would be... messy. I’m low on energy.”

“Claus, for the love of all that is holy, you’re alive? This isn’t a dream?”

Lucas yelps when he feels the side of his arm pinched, and for the first time in a long time, he sees Claus smile.

“Is that enough evidence?” Claus says, a hint of a very broken, rusty laugh coming from him. His real voice.

“Can you stand??” Lucas asks, either too happy to cry or too close to crying to manage to sound happy.

“Give me a hand.”

Lucas holds onto his human arm and tugs the chimera up, wrapping the metal arm around his neck. Claus leans heavily into him, staining his shirt with his blood, but Lucas couldn’t care less.

“Thank you.” He says with a smile. His eye droops a bit, clearly exhausted.

“Dad is going to be so happy, Claus.” Lucas says, letting some of the waterworks fall. It seems that Claus does the same.

“It’s nice to see who you’ve become, Lucas. You did what I couldn’t.”

“Sentimental stuff later,” Lucas interrupts, laughing through his sobs. “I’m getting you home so you survive.”

“Yeah,” Claus says, actually says, in a hoarse, rough voice, before coughing up speckles of blood onto the golden flowers. “I want to see Dad again.”


	2. Until I Fix Whats Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i guess i’m continuing lmaooo  
> title is from I am Machine by Three Days Grace  
> um.  
> enjoy

Lucas was carrying the weight of many things on his shoulders.

His brother had been found, by Lucas, still alive out in the fields of... who knows where. Lucas didn’t share that with her.

His existence meant a few things, some good and some bad.

The good parts is that with Claus around, Lucas won’t be as miserable and alone in his depression. He gets to have a full sibling bond again with someone he watched die in his arms. They’ll be there for each other when nobody else will, when she can’t be there for him. They’ll be a family again, except for Hinawa. In fact, his brother would be a highly respected elite, if it weren’t for his history. The fact remains though that Claus is powerful, enough to fight against his entire purpose as a chimera.

This leads to the bad weight on Lucas.

According to Claus, or rather what little they could get out of him before he had a power outage (and caused the entire hospital to panic), there are three new threats, or possible threats, and one more animal for Lucas to show off.

Firstly, two unknown characters are meant to time travel to this period, as according to whatever Claus pulled out of his ass or is programmed to know. They’re said to be both children, but Claus hesitated to mention.

Secondly, Porky is, of course, still alive and active, but has done nothing but return Claus to wherever he was found.

Thirdly, the Ultimate Chimera is currently stalking three kids, a dog, and a dragon, and Lucas can’t communicate with it to find out why. Duster noticed it a while back, and nobody knows where he came from.

One of the most important questions to her, though, is when did this place get a hospital? It would’ve been really useful if they had it sooner.

“...He apparently woke up, said my name, and passed out again, according to Dad...” Lucas’ voice interrupted her thoughts.

“It’s been three days, hasn’t it?” Duster questioned. “since you found him, I mean. Ain’t he just starting to wake up? I could see why he’s panicked about ya.”

“The doctors think he’s having nightmares. His voice is returning, too, because of his talking in his sleep.”

“Well, hopefully he’s up for good today. I’ve been meanin’ to meet him, instead of whatcha told us about.”

“Yeah... hopefully...”

Kumatora sighed faux tiredly. “Of course he’s gonna be up, you two. If he isn’t, I’ll just slap him until he does.”

Lucas snorts. “Good luck with that. He has lightning fast reflexes!”

The dragon garbles something and Lucas turns his head over to Flint. Kumatora didn’t even notice him come outside.

“Dad? Are you alright?” Lucas said, Flint tipping his hat downwards. _That’s not good._

“Yeah, yeah, kids, scram inside and see him.” _That_ definitely _isn’t good._

Lucas nodded with a concerned look on his face. The three kids (and a dog softly whimpering) walked through the doors of the hospital.

The place was nice, oddly calming, with a sense of underlying dread. Kumatora wasn’t really paying attention to her surroundings, just simply following her friends. Down the second hallway, they stopped at the door that held Claus.

Room 23b.

Lucas went to turn the handle, but his wrist was gently held by Kumatora.

 _Are you sure you want to see what might have happened?_ she asks without words.

 _Not at all_ , Lucas replied, _but I’m doing it anyway_.

The door opened slowly as Lucas pressed the handle. He gasped, and so did Duster, but Kumatora couldn’t see. She didn’t really want to see what happened, either. So she closed her eyes and blocked out the noise. She didn’t want to hear Lucas cry.

“Hey, Pinkie. You’ve been standing there with your eyes closed for two minutes now.” A voice rang. She opened one eye.

Claus lay in the hospital bed, awake, sitting up. One hand petting Boney, the other resting idly at his side.

“I’m gonna kill Flint,” is all she responds. “I’m gonna kill him for making me think we were gonna walk into something horrible.”

In an instant, she’s on Lucas’ brother, hugging his side with a death grip. Claus’ light chuckle and Lucas’ giggles said that they felt the exact same.

“Uh, so... I don’t mean to break you off, but, we haven’t... really met.” Claus chortles, to which Kumatora lets go and shines a grin. “So, hello. My name’s Claus. Yours?”

He stuck his hand out, too. Good to know both of Flint’s kids are dorks.

“Kumatora,” she snickers. “but don’t call me by all the princess junk. I saved your brother’s ass multiple times. So did the cowboy.”

Duster laughed. “Yeah, but you know about that. My name’s Duster, by the way.”

“Crazy circumstances we’re in, right?” Claus says casually. Kumatora’s clock is ticking on when she’s going to break down the soft moment and get to hard ass mode.

“Yep...” replied Lucas awkwardly.

The timer goes off a second later.

“If this is the fat piece of shit pretending to be Claus to fuck with us, I’ll fuck you up right back, you bastard.” Kumatora starts, sharply. “Either way you’re going to tell us what you know so we can keep the world in check. Starting with the time travel.”

Claus sighs as the smile drops off of his face, but replaced with a smirk. “I like your attitude, Kuma. I’ll spill. I can solemnly swear I’m not under control of bacon ball, he cut off our communication entirely. I’m left with some of my coding of him but I can stamp it down.”

Kumatora’s glare sharpens. “What about the time travel bullshit?”

“It’s not bullshit, I assure you.” Claus starts. “You remember hearing about Giygas? How he was put out of his misery long ago by a boy? That boy’s coming to our time. The boy before him is also coming along. I don’t know how old they are, but they’re kids, about your ages. Maybe mine. I also don’t know if they’re friendly or not, but I’d sure as hell hope so. I’ll kill them myself if they aren’t.”

Kumatora nods, and Lucas speaks up. “Why would Porky leave you here? And how are you alive? I was there when you...”

“The guilt got to me, Lucas. I thought I could only make things right if I were dead. But I don’t die, Lucas. I simply get repaired to a point I can start to heal myself again. Me dying didn’t so shit for you, except make you miserable to see me. I have things to do and make amends. I can’t do that if I’m dead.”

Lucas quiets for a while, the room silent, until he speaks again, softly. “I’m sorry, Claus.”

“I made a selfish decision, that was my fault. Tends to be.”

Kumatora spoke up. “Why are you so... oddly monotone now?”

Claus looks to the side. “I used to have to go monotonous as the Masked Man. This is the most open I’ve been for three years and my habits are hard to break.”

Boney barks a few times, to which Claus and Lucas both seem to understand.

“I’m alive now, though. I’m happy for that,” his voice returns, “besides, I couldn’t leave Lucas alone. I need to be there for you.”

“Kumatora?” Lucas asks. Shit, here we go again. The second time she’s cried in front of Lucas and she’ll never hear the end of it from Duster.

“I’m fine,” she says, masking her voice. Claus laughs, her eyes snapping to him, until she sees his face.

Maybe him crying a translucent crimson isn’t a good thing, but it sure as hell feels good to know she’s not alone.

“Pinkie, do me a favor, will ya?” He says. Kumatora nods after collecting herself a bit. “Get Dad’s ass back in here. I didn’t wake up for him to ditch me and wait outside.”

Kumatora nods and leaves the room. The sense of dread in the hallway is gone, replaced by a relaxed ecstasy. As she goes to get Flint, she takes in the look of the hospital. Chances are she’s gonna be here a lot, anyway.

The hallways are dim, painted with a pearl white finish on the walls. Light grey tiles and wood shaped to diamonds across the floor. She felt oddly at peace.

_Then why does the feeling something horrible is going to happen still linger with her?_

She stops outside to see Flint smoking.

“Hey, old man.” She says casually. He looks over to her with an eyebrow raised.

“What’s up, kid?” He responds.

“You know, he’s awake and talking.”

“I know.”

“He has a lot of things to say. He has some words for each of us.”

“I bet.”

“So why aren’t you talking to him?”

Flint sighed as he pinched the flame of the cigarette and drops it to the grass. “I don’t expect you to understand, kid. It takes a lot of preparation to come face to face with the present. But we don’t get that preparation.”

Kumatora nods. He continues. “I saw him die. But he’s here. And I couldn’t handle the horror I saw on his face when he woke up. He’s only four years older than Lucas and yet he’s been through so much pain and torment. Puppet on strings.”

“You know he sent me out here, right?” Kumatora asks. No response comes. “He said, and I quote, ‘I didn’t wake up for him to ditch me’.”

Flint chuckles. “That’s my boy alright.” He stands up straight. “That’s my boy. Lead the way, ya little brat. Makin’ me look dumb.”

They get back to the room, which only Lucas and Boney remain inside. A doctor is talking with the two.

“...physical therapy, but besides that, the rest of his treatment should come through the help of his family.”

“His family, you say?” Flint interrupts. “Then I have a say in it.”

The doctor turns. “Ah! You’re the father, correct? Flint, was it? I was informing them of the treatment we have planned.”

“Lay it on me.”

“We only give this information to family, so, I’m going to have to ask you to leave, miss.” The doctor says, looking to Kumatora.

“How about no.” She says bluntly. “I’m not moving an inch.”

Lucas laughs a bit. “It’s fine, she can know.”

“Right. Anyway,” The doctor starts, “The injuries he has are somewhat serious. He’s dehydrated and malnutritioned, for starters. His arm, the metal one, needs to be reassembled for functioning daily tasks. His chest and lower abdomen also have some dented bone and organ damage, though very minor. Mostly we’re worried about the missing eye, but it seems in general that it has no actual harm being done. The medical eyepatch is simply because some of us are squeamish, despite the irony.”

“Right, I get it. But what’s the deal with therapy I heard?”

“Oh! For physical treatment, he’s going to need a bit of physical therapy with his arm once it is repaired, and we recommend he stays here for at least a week after we preform a surgery to properly correct some of the organ damage. Otherwise, there’s nothing else to do, because he’ll be back in top shape.”

Flint nods. “I like the sound of that. Kids?”

“Not looking forward to being in a bed for a week,” Claus chimes, “but it beats being dead, so, I like it too.”

“So details about the surgery?”

“It’ll be tomorrow. Roughly five to six hours. Worst case scenario is that he stays a week and a half instead.”

Lucas’ yawn makes Flint look over and snicker. “It is getting late out, isn’t it?”

“You guys can go home if you want,” Claus smiles and laughs. “I don’t mind. I’m tired too.”

“Medical talk is boring,” Kumatora states. Boney barks and Lucas snorts.

“We can get here early in the morning tomorrow. Let’s get back home.”

* * *

Later that night, Kumatora gets a call from Lucas.

She’s pretty sure she looks like a hurricane hit her, but she walks to the phone anyway.

She picks up. “Lucas, it’s two in the morning, you should have good reason for waking me up.” she groggily speaks.

_“I do, I promise.”_

“Make haste.”

_“Claus tried to kill himself.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will keep swearing and nobody will stop me


	3. In Games We Children Used to Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title is from swan song (love) from swan lake.  
> sorry for the lack of story i always feel like i write too much and then i post and it’s always so short 💀 anyway uh. if you’re here still enjoy i guess!  
> i think it’s important to mention that the osohe castle is repaired entirely and is, well, a castle now. i just. want my girl to be treated like royalty bc i love her

Blood.

There’s a lot of it, that’s definite.

It fills the corners of his eye and floods the ground, a sticky mahogany staining torn clothes and the jaws of the beast in front of him. The ripped remains of a limb hangs from his shoulder, spurts of blood the only thing he can truly make out as real.

“Good... should work for a cannon blaster.” The nasally voice chirped.

“Not good enough!” The high pitched yet gravelly responds. “Our orders included a laser eye, and he still has both of them. Ultimate, you can eat whichever eye you want.”

The beast snarled and garbled something resembling the hiss of a lizard and the screech of a bat. The bird atop its head chirped happily.

Claus fell to his hind, kicking and pushing himself to the wall. He’d long stopped crying, exhausted, and his voice had almost given out entirely.

“...ease, please... ‘ust get’it ov’r with...” Claus begged to the beast. It inched towards him, tail thumping against the ground. The sharpness scratched the concrete and left light lines where it dented.

“King Pork’s gonna have a blast hearin’ about this kid!” The first pigmask laughs.

“...fuck you, bastards.” Claus choked out. He held his breath as the foul stench of the beast’s jaws reached him. The pigmasks simply cackled.

The beast snarled and swung its tail around, slicing Claus’ left cheek. A hoarse groan was the only noise he could make.

A zap erupts from the room, making both Claus and the creature screech in broken pain.

“He’s got fight, I’ll give him that.”

“What are you absolute idiots doing?”

Claus saw him, slightly. Blonde hair over a button nose that made him sneer.

“Boss!” The first spun. “We got the chimera order! Say hello to-“

A painful oink is heard. “Bloated idiots! I told you to do simple surgery! Not let Ultimate fuck it up!”

“B-But, Boss, Curly told us your order was-“

“Oh, so _Curly_ wants a date with Ultimate, does he? Thinks it’s _funny_ to mess with my projects?”

_...Ultimate hurt Curly? Curly made Ultimate hurt?_

Claus looked in front of him to the beast staring at said King Pork, eyes slitted and tails tucked between its legs.

 _It was scared_.

“Thanks, now on top of having to do a more complicated assembly, _we have to condition this kid too_!” Porky shouts, the two pigmasks taking a step back. “Whatever! Minor setback. Get rid of his left eye, entirely, and leave the two in here. Ultimate knows what will happen if he eats him anyway.”

The pigmasks hastily muttered their yes sirs and shuffled out of the room. Porky stood where he was though, looking at Claus and Ultimate, as they’d called him.

“Claus, isn’t it? Lucas’ older brother, son of Flint? Yeah.” Porky says, stepping near the two. Ultimate hisses but is stunned to silence by a slap from Porky’s hand.

“Shut it.” He states. “Claus, you’re gonna be one of the most important things in my business, that I promise.”

“Fuck you!” Claus spat, voice hoarse and broken. Porky only laughed.

“I didn’t want you to be in this pain, either, man. The pigmasks just tend to have their heads far up their asses. Makes good food for Ultimate, though. Anyway, enough chat. I know it hurts now, but before you know it, you’ll be awake and good as new!”

Ultimate snarled, but it was directed at Claus. There was an underlying sound, though...

_Sorry to hurt._

“Good. See you soon, Masked Man.” Porky spoke as he left. The door slammed and the room was left in silence.

Claus raised a hand, to which Ultimate let out a horrific cry of... something.

“C’mere...” Claus spoke softly, to which the bird atop its head tweeted in suspicion.

The creature stepped a single clawed foot forwards, before pulling back and hissing.

“...won’t hurt you.” Claus manages, before being sent into a coughing fit. His clothes had long been ruined, and the contents of his stomach certainly don’t help to make it seem cleaner.

The creature looked confused, the traces of a ravenous beast gone. It seemed like a hurt animal, scared and disoriented.

_Masked Man won’t hurt Ultimate?_

Claus nodded. “I won’t hurt you, promise.”

_Ultimate... don’t want hurt Masked Man._

“Just.. get it over with. It has to happen.”

 _Ultimate don’t want hurt Masked Man!_ The beast roared.

That took Claus back a bit, and apparently Ultimate as well. Ultimate simply sat down after a moment, the bird atop it flying over to Claus.

It tweeted something, a familiar tune. Swan Lake, if he wasn’t mistaken.

The blood loss made him dizzy. He was done fighting for consciousness, anyway. So he closes his eyes, slowly, and drifts off to a warm, embracing darkness.

* * *

His arm hurt like hell, that’s the first thing he noticed.

The second thing he noticed is that he could only open one eye, and his vision didn’t look the same. Tinted green and laser sharp clean lines. There was a dull hum in his ears and the distant ache of pain in his chest.

“He’s awake, boss.” He hears a voice say. “Not awake enough to move properly, but he should be able to speak.”

“Good.” He hears Porky respond. “Leave us, then. Thank you.”

The shuffled footsteps of a pigmask is all he can make out for certain. He’s stuck staring at the ceiling above him. The gentle click of a door rings and he sees a familiar face come into view.

“Morning, Masked Man! I’m sure you’re confused and probably a little high on painkillers.” He starts. “I see you’re angry, reasonably. You have a scowl so deep that if looks could kill I’d be dead. Well, let me explain. You see, you-“

Claus fires a blast of... something from his arm. He’s in a fighting stance, only one eye half opened and his body exhausted. Did he use a PK move? It didn’t feel right.

Porky jumps back a bit, and then laughs a hearty chuckle. It just further pisses Claus off.

“So you are awake enough! That or your coding kicked in. Either way, I see you’re really... pressed.”

“What did you do to me?” Claus asks softly. He can’t make much out from how his body looks... his arm, or... lack of...

It hits hard, when he realizes it. His arm is a machine. His left eye, or it’s replacement, has been covered by machine. His chest is eerily silent, and his blood runs cold throughout his veins, a cracking electricity lining them.

“...chimera! The best one of our creations, in fact!” Porky had been saying... something. Claus wasn’t paying attention.

The fury that surged through him a moment ago is no longer existent. The grief he had felt has disappeared.

“Why can’t I feel anything?” He asks, monotonous. Porky stops his talking and laughs.

“You’re on a lot of painkillers, you might be a little numb.”

“No.” Claus says bluntly. “ _Why can’t I feel anything._ ”

“Oh!” Porky says in realization. “You’re lacking emotions now, as a chimera. It’s what works best! Your moral compass and emotional attachments are gone and you are following code. You’re gonna have emotional outbursts time to time, but try not to make that my problem.”

“What will you do with me?”

“Whatever I need, whatever I wish, you will provide! Follow my commands by the letter.”

“You’re a son of a bitch.”

“Thank you! Your opinion means absolutely nothing to me!”

“Fuck you.”

Porky snorts. “Sorry, I can’t take this seriously when you speak in no tone whatsoever. I’ll let you relax a bit since you’re... _on edge_.”

Claus raised his cannon arm and shot the wall with a burst. Porky ducked out of the way in time, unfortunately. Claus just started emitting a low buzzing sound.

“See ya!” Porky says quickly.

Just like that, he’s gone and out of the room, where Claus is left alone.

He sighs and looks around finally.

It seems like a hospital room, although... oddly steampunkish. Sky blue and copper lined the chrome walls and the screens of vitals and control of his own body flashed and blinked with bright colors.

Claus lifts up his arm again, looking it over. It’s shiny and clearly new, no hand to move yet the phantom sensation remains. It still slightly hurts, but... what even is pain, anyway?

He raises his other hand. If Porky is right, he should remove the robotics as soon as he can to keep his humanity. Keep himself in his body.

He’s not sure how he got here, now. His brain is foggy and he is void of sensation. It brings a sick pleasure to feel what he’s doing. Ripping himself apart, bit by bit. He’s almost got the cannon off.

“...Masked Man, he’s malfunctioning,” a voice said. He could only smirk in response. _Malfunctioning_.

As if he’s not a human.

_Maybe he isn’t._

His arm is almost, almost off. Hanging by wires, dripping with blood. It feels sickeningly wonderful to rip it off like a loose tooth.

Arms restraining him are the next thing he notices. Doesn’t matter. He has his cannon.

Would he take his head off? He wonders. If he blasted once, he can still control it. If he shoots at himself...

“Claus!” _Wait, who?_ “Claus, stop!”

That voice throws him off. It seems.. oddly familiar. Something that causes a dull ache to spread in his chest. Who was it?

“Claus,” the voice starts up. “please, snap out of it!” but it makes no sense. Snap out of what? Why does that voice sound...

“Lucas!”

* * *

“I’m sorry, Lucas.”

Lucas looked drop dead tired, but he still smiled. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I couldn’t...” Claus starts. “I couldn’t get it out of my head. I just... _needed_ to feel hurt.”

Lucas nods. “I know, Claus. You don’t need to tell me what happened. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

The two were sitting across from the other on the bed. From what he heard from Lucas, Claus had almost destroyed himself in a delusional haze of his memory. Flint always slept like the dead, hadn’t even peeked an eye when Lucas tried to shake him awake. He managed to get Claus to wake up on his own, except for the fact he almost shocked Lucas.

“You can sleep in the bed, if you want.” Lucas says.

“No, I’m not tired, really. I don’t... _get_ tired.” Claus explains. Lucas nods hesitantly.

Boney borfs something as he jumps down and lays on the floor. Lucas looks up at Claus, the glint of... something in his eyes. Before he can start, though, he seems to get an idea and grabs his phone.

“What are you doing?” Claus asks, as Lucas types in a number.

“Letting Kumatora know,” He answers, but then pauses for a moment. “If that’s okay...”

Claus nods. “Sure.”

The dial-up noise rings, until finally picked up. Claus can’t make out what they’re saying.

“I do, I promise.”

Muffled voice.

“Claus tried to kill himself.”

Oh, the phone _exploded._

_“He what?! I knew something dreaded was going to happen, I’m gonna kick his ass for making you worry too let me get my fucking coat on-“_

Claus takes the phone from Lucas. “Pinkie. I’m fine. It sounds more intense than it was.”

_“Oh really? Oh, it’s not intense, just my best friend calling me at the asscrack of the night to tell me his previously found dead brother has tried to do the one thing he promised he wouldn’t!”_

Claus slightly winced. “When you phrase it like that, yeah. It was... nightmares.”

_“Nightmares? Waking me up for nightmares? You and Lucas are the same person sometimes and I barely even know you, and-“_

“Memories. Of when I was... transformed.”

The line is silent for a while. Lucas and Claus sit waiting until finally an answer.

“Can you hand me back to Lucas?”

“Okay,” Claus says, handing the phone back to Lucas. Lucas takes it and mutters an anxious _hello_.

“He’s okay, yeah.”

“No. He didn’t say.”

A long pause.

“Okay. I can ask him.”

“Tonight? Right now, even?”

“Okay. I’ll see you soon, then.”

Lucas hangs up and looks over to Claus.

“She’s offering if you’d want to stay with her. Since the castle has been cleaned up, the magypsies are also there.”

Claus thinks for a moment.

“I think,” Claus decides, “that’s a good idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> before y’all start shit no claus is not going with kumatora as anything romantic. suicide watch more like it lmao.   
> anyway somebody please leave me kudos i am thirsty for approval


	4. Feel Like I Should Leave Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title is from Morning by Francis and the Lights

Classic. Fucking _classic_.

When everything was going right her paranoia was also correct, which isn’t usually a good thing. Which is why she’s standing in the entrance of the Osohe castle in shorts and a printed shirt of a pink cat wearing an orange baseball hat (which she insists is cool, as if anybody would go against what she said).

Lucas and Claus were at her doorstep, and she could definitely see the damage he did to himself. His mechanical arm is loose and he has scratch marks lining across his skin around his neck. It makes her question just what kind of thing would bring a person to do that to themselves.

Lucas, on the other hand, only looked tired, but was keeping up his fake positivity he’d taken up since Claus woke up.

“Why would I need sleep anyway?” She says, leaning on the wall for support.

“You offered it, so I... figured... it was okay...” Lucas mutters out. She sighs and ruffles his hair.

“I’m not mad, Lucas. It’s fine. I already warned the Magypsies, but still, they’re pretty strict on press-trassers.”

“ _Trespassers_ , you mean?” Claus chimes.

“Yeah,” Kumatora croaked, “that’s what I said. Trespassers.”

The three kids shared a giggle at Kumatora’s expense until a blue haired Magypsy came up behind Kumatora.

“Alright, children, it is late out, plenty of time in the daylight to be giddy.” She says to the the three kids.

“Yeah, I’m tired,” Lucas laughs, then yawns. Kumatora giggles at the sight. “I’ll head back home. You _sure_ you’re okay, here, Claus?”

Claus makes a “hm?” sound and turns his head. “Oh, yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so.” Lucas shrugs with a smile. “Call me if anything gets bad. Thanks, Kumatora.”

She ignores the sensation of being watched and scoffs playfully. “As if I can’t take care of it myself.”

When the two go in for their usual goodbye-hug, Claus’ voice chirps in. “So, you’re royalty, huh?”

Kumatora looks over to him. “Oh, yeah, I guess. I can show you around if you want.”

Lucas waves goodbye and she returns it, the Magypsy closing the doors.

“If you two need me, I will be in the cellar.” She says, before walking off.

Suddenly the air between the two children is... awkward.

“Look,” Claus starts, catching Kumatora’s attention. “I get that I’m not as... _welcome_ here as you want to act. I wouldn’t be surprised if you kicked me out, either, and I’d recommend it.”

Kumatora rolls her eyes. “Dude, of _course_ you’re welcome here. It’s really just me and Melody here, and a few ghosts who preferred to stay around. If it’s about your history, or whatever, it’s fine. You weren’t you. Now, I’m gonna try and stay awake as long as I can, but I’m tired and if I pass out then I blame you.”

Claus flashes a look of guilt and Kumatora sighs. “I’m kidding, you’re fine.”

Claus nods. “I know.” he looks away for a moment and rubs the back of his neck with a nervous hand. “If you need to sleep, you can. I forced myself to sleep and... tonight happened. I’ll just... wait until exhaustion hits. It’s how I survive. How I’ve survived for three years.”

Kumatora notices the way his voice slowly goes monotonous. It leaves an eerie feeling in her, as if she gets a glance at his inner turmoil.

“Right, that’s it. Come with me.” She states, bringing Claus out of wherever his mind wandered, grabbing his hand and walking. She leads him through the hallways down to something resembling a living room, bookshelves and velvet couches and chairs. She closes the doors behind her and lights the chandelier above them. “I demand answers.”

She sits down with her arms crossed near the end of the couch. Claus sighs and sits next to her, though much gentler.

“You’re a smart kid, you know. I was only a year older than you and I didn’t have enough sense to stop myself.” He says. She avoids eye contact.

“Thank you.” She says flatly. “I’m not gonna force everything you know out of you. But tell me why you did it. Why you’re here.”

Claus sighs. “As I said, it was memories. When I lost.”

“Care to summarize?”

“I don’t, actually.”

Kumatora sighed. “I’ve never had a brother, but I’m pretty sure this is how it feels. _Infuriating_.”

Claus chuckled. “It is. It’s how it’s like having siblings. You care for each other but also can’t stand one another sometimes...” he seems to reminisce for a bit. “but you grow out of it. Either mentally or physically, you _grow_ and realize... they’re kind of all you have.”

Kumatora raises an eyebrow. It got him talking, just roll with it. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean what I said,” he replies, “it’s someone who knows you, the true you. Knows your weaknesses, your strengths, your darkest moments, and stays with you anyway. Supports you when you need it and knows what to do, even if you don’t think so. It was selfish of me to leave Lucas behind, too. To leave him and all of his friends to be without a spot once occupied.”

Kumatora nods. “I know the feeling... Ionia was like that. She was my mother, but I never told her that. When she disappeared, I... felt a hole in my chest.”

“It seems theres more than one hole in your chest, then.”

Kumatora looks over to him. He has a slight smirk on his face. “What are you implying?”

“I’m not dumb, either, kid.” He responds. “I can see what you’re doing. You’re into tough love. Trying to help me by pushing me past my comforts. Rolling with it once you get me started.”

Kumatora drops her arms to her sides and looks over. “How’d you figure it out so fast? It took Lucas forever.”

“As the Masked Man, I analyzed people from the inside out, mentally speaking. I don’t mean to do it, but, it’s ingrained. You’re yearning for the comfort of true family. You’re pining for my brother. I can see it clearly.”

Kumatora nods up until she hears pining. Her face feels a hundred times hotter now. “What do you mean pining?!”

“Kid, I know diamonds when I see it.” He chuckles. “You’re super pale for him. I saw it right away.”

Kumatora raises an eyebrow. “What are you saying?”

“You know the quadrants? I think it was introduced by the Magypsies.”

“No...?”

“Basically, you’re in love. A strictly non-sexual, romantic love to keep each other grounded and calm. Someone to lean into for comfort, somebody to tell you it’ll be all okay.”

Kumatora just nods. “That... makes perfect sense, but I’m not ‘pale’ or whatever for Lucas! We’re just close friends!”

“You’re close friends with Duster,” he says, “but you don’t look at him like you do with Lucas. Why do you think I interrupted you earlier?”

She flushes. “It’s just a hug! I don’t know if I can even feel that kind of love!”

“Yeah, you can.” He smirks. “Humans are fully capable of feeling pale love and engaging in moiraileagance.” He says it with such ease, as if it isn’t turning Kumatora’s world upside down.

“So, even if I was, pale, as you put it, for Lucas, what bad is that?” She snaps.

“Nothing at all.” He says simply. “I just wanted to make sure you’re the right kid. Don’t want my brother to get his heart broken further.”

The two fall to silence for a while, Kumatora thinking long and hard while Claus has somewhat of a shit eating grin across his face.

“Shit, am I pale for Lucas?”

* * *

It had been a long conversation, but she got the following out of it:

  1. She’s pale, or in love, with Lucas, her best friend.
  2. Claus is overprotective of his brother and his relationships. In fact, he agreed to come over to threaten her if she dared to break his heart (which only made her respect him more).
  3. Claus is physically okay, but mentally he’s got three years worth of horrible experience to unlearn.
  4. Additionally, while not suicidal, he has a tendency to hurt himself without even noticing it.
  5. The Ultimate Chimera is Claus’ best friend, which is why it had been following them for a while now. They seem to be partners.
  6. Apparently the Ultimate Chimera pants like a dog when you rub his tummy, and covers you in slobber that takes way too long to get out of hair.



So those were the events of the night. It was about seven in the morning when she got a call from Flint, who sounded half asleep but panicked out of his mind.

After a half hour of convincing, she finally calmed him down to inform him that everybody is fine and Claus is just at the castle.

Oddly enough, Claus seemed nothing like what he had heard he would be. Claus used to be a very energetic child, according to Flint.

 _“He found himself immortal, his ability of PK Love making him a bit too confident.”_ Flint had said. _“My boy was positive and outgoing. I could barely get him to sit still! Hinawa used to be able to wrangle him into compliance but he wouldn’t listen to me.”_

But this Claus is _nothing_ like that. When others are around, he’s near silent. Talks in short sentences, polite replies, and the occasional laugh. He seemed almost ashamed to show his face to anybody, avoiding the outside, and it was rare he ever made a comment that wasn’t pessimistic or nihilistic in nature. She hated it.

It reminded her of Lucas’ turmoil. And that shit is unacceptable.

She meant to confront him about it, she really did. She didn’t get much sleep in the past few days, now that she realizes it. The day passes by almost like a blur, really.

It’s about two in the afternoon when she feels a wave of exhaustion. She stumbles forward a bit, surprising Melody to rush to her side for stability.

“Are you alright, child?” She asks. Kumatora feels somewhat sick. Indigo and black lines her vision in spots. Yep, she’s gonna pass out. She knows the signs by now.

“Yeah...” She mutters, knowing she’s far from it.

A thought hits her, though. Melody is used to her passing out from nights of exhaustion. _Claus isn’t_. He tends to blame everything on himself and with his already building guilt (which he can barely hide even if he tried), he might think something worse than the average faint has happened.

“Kumatora?” Speak of the goddamn devil. “You alright?”

Her only thought is _God fucking damnit._ That’s all she hears before she passes out and hits the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok but.  
> pale kumatora x lucas.


	5. By the Scars That We’re Made Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek into Claus’ memory of his mistakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i took so long on this i hit a writers block along with art block and the second semester started and my ass is getting kicked. idk if anyone actually reads this so i might keep writing it but it if doesn’t pick up then i might just keep this in my backups and not publish it?? sorry lol.  
> title is from TRIALS by Starset

He’d been waking for years, it had felt like.

Dragging his feet over the rolling hills, searching for an enemy he was unsure of, but one that claimed his mother’s life.

His legs hurt, and he could practically hear his mother telling him to return home. He couldn’t, though, he made a promise - he would slay what took his mother, even if he did not return.

Which, of course, wouldn’t happen.

Claus remembers this all too well as his dream plays out his demise.

He looks down at himself - his limbs are transparent, right arm still made of cold metal, unable to see from his left eye - he was himself. He could only watch his younger self make the mistake.

He looked so young, so much younger than now. It had only been three years, but he’d aged an _eternity_. The confident yet scared boy in front of him was long dead, turned into the heartless being that had killed and destroyed.

 _That habit didn’t change_ , he muses.

He watches himself, remembering what he had felt. He had felt indestructible, unbeatable, someone who was a hero. He was scared, though. He was _terrified_ of failing his family. Lucas had tried to talk him out of it, too.

His dream shifts back to that memory, seeing the old and familiar look of his home.

“Claus, you’re serious??” Lucas had asked, that familiar look of shock and fear across his face.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Claus had snapped back, causing his younger brother to flinch. His current self watches as his past takes the knife from the counter as a weapon.

“Claus,” Lucas repeats, “you’ll die out there! You’ve seen those... _creatures_ before, they’ll make lunch out of you!”

“It doesn’t matter,” Claus said, turning to face his brother, “somebody has to do this. And I’m gonna do it. For Mom.”

Lucas, predictably, was already shedding crocodile tears. “What about me and Dad? Or Boney? Don’t you care about us too?”

“Of course,” Claus responded harshly, “that’s why I have to do this.”

The room went silent, the two children looking at one another with wildly different expressions. One of terror and misery, another of anger and resentment.

“At least let me come with you to keep you safe!”

Claus glared daggers at Lucas, “I have to go alone.”

“I can’t stop you,” Lucas finally said, “but please... don’t.”

Claus watches as his younger self lashes out in a silent glare as he leaves.

He regrets everything that happened that day.

His surroundings fade to nothingness, an eerie limbo he knows much too well. His sleep mode, rather than rest. It was the only time he could think for himself as Porky’s killing machine.

He’s free of that now, but it feels as if he’s still trapped within himself.

Whatever he feels, though, is pushed aside, as he sees the rays of light from cracks in his limbo. A familiar feeling he had when he had given his final breath.

Or, supposed final breath.

“Am I dying?” Claus asks nothing, looking up for any sign of life in his dreams.

“No, child,” an unfamiliar voice speaks, oddly motherly and soft, yet not of Hinawa. “you’re alive, do not worry. It is only me, Melody.”

Claus shoots up from his sleep, an automatic reflex towards being touched, even by the gentle Magypsy in front of him.

She flinches back, clearly startled, before forcing herself to relax again.

“Oh,” Claus says simply, his memories of the previous night rushing towards him. “Sorry about that...”

Melody waves a hand non-commitedly, “Oh, no worries! I suppose I should have thought better of it. I just thought you’d want to wake up by noon.”

Claus checks his internal clock. Did he really sleep that long? “Sorry to bother you, ma’am,” he relies sheepishly.

Melody waves a hand off. “Nonsense, you are a welcome guest! I will be in the kitchen if you need me - don’t be afraid to ask me for anything!”

Claus stands up in his default soldier position, going slack after realizing Melody had left the room.

He looks around at his surroundings - last he remembers Ultimate’s bird sung to him and he was already asleep. It seemed like a spare bedroom of sorts - one that clearly belonged to a child when it had been inhabited by what the ghosts used to be. It sort of reminds him of-

 _No_. Now is _not_ the time to think about him. _It’s to wake the fuck up already_.

He scans the area for a moment, his robotic reflex to do so. He senses another living thing in the room, and when he turns with a blaster on hand (quite literally), he sees Kumatora trying to sneak up on him.

“ _Dude_!” She jumps back with her hands up. “Chill out! I was just trying to scare you!”

Claus’ blaster screeches with energy before slowing to a low hum. “Sorry...”

Kumatora rolls her eyes and lets her hands fall to her sides, “Yeah, in retrospect it _was_ a bad idea to do that..”

Claus nods, “yes, it was pretty stupid.”

Kumatora snorts. “Ultimate is outside, by the way. He refused to let me touch you when you conked out, so that’s why Melody put you here instead of somewhere... actually lived in.”

Claus nods once, “Give her my thanks. Has he caused any trouble?”

Kumatora shrugs. “He scared the shit out of one of the guards, but that’s about it.”

“So what’s the plan for today? Am I still to stay here?”

“Dude, stop talking like that. It’s lame.” She punches him lightly with a grin. “Your memory is fried, I guess. You’re gonna be here for a while until Lucas finally gets the guts to say you should come back.”

“So I’m gonna be here forever?”

“Basically.”

Claus lets himself crack a smile. “I didn’t worry him too much, did I?”

“Oh, dude, he apparently hasn’t been able to sleep all night. Flint ended up finding him over at... the cemetery. Near your stone.”

Claus’ face drops a bit to his usual monotone glance. “So I did?...”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Kumatora cuts in faux aggressively, “he’s always been overly sensitive.”

“That makes it worse.” He responds. “I was a bit of a jerk to him in my last moments. I don’t want to make him hate me more.”

Kumatora laughs in disbelief. “You think he hates you? Seriously??”

Claus just looks at her, and she shorts. “He’s always looked up to you! The entire time we travelled we’d talk and he would praise you. Even after the events in Tanetane he still looked up to you!”

Claus looks away. “I thought he saved me out of pity...”

Kumatora slaps her hand against her face. “Why the fuck wouldn’t he save his brother?”

“Because that’s what I’ve always seen. Pity.”

* * *

It was one of the few times he had broken free of his code, filled with rage and ecstatic to take it out on his captors.

He had killed at least twenty innocent pigmasks, from what he remembers. Probably more, though, as he knows the injuries wouldn’t have been survivable to some.

He had been in the sky, he remembers, blocking the attacks from various pigmasks.

He remembers ranting, spitting venomous words, filled with what felt like centuries of untold emotion. Porky had seemed calm as ever, though a bit ruffled by surprise. It pissed him off.

He prepared to attack the fat piece of shit, when a gentle tweeting caught his attention. The yellow and green feathers had flapped towards him, making him hesitate movement for even a second.

That must’ve been enough to open him to a tranquilizer shot, or fifteen, as he felt and counted. He slightly remembers losing his control slowly, becoming sluggish as he near crashed to the ground. He had gotten close, so _god damn close,_ to at least scoring some sort of injury towards King Pork himself. In the end, though, the most he managed was to collapse pathetically against him.

That’s what he relives for a moment as his consciousness comes back to him. He feels his arms restained above his head, his helmet still gone and his head hanging low. A somewhat familiar voice fills his senses.

“Poor thing,” it says, a gross pity in it, “I hate working this damn facility...”

Claus groans a bit as he lightly struggles against the restraints on his wrists. The figure in front of him, still blurry, stops speaking and turns to him.

“Hello, Masked Man,” the figure says, sounding oddly anxious, “I’m just doing a few repairs. I’m no threat.”

Claus waits a moment, letting the figure get closer, before kicking it back and throwing his head up to glare daggers.

The old man is on the ground, adjusting his crooked glasses, looking surprised at Claus’ outburst. “Masked Man?”

Leftover anger seethes through Claus. “ _You_! You must’ve made me like this! I’ll kill you!”

The man flinches back a bit. “Masked Man, it’s _me_ , Andonuts!”

Claus pauses for a moment. The name sounds... oddly familiar...

Something hits him. Part of his brainwashed chimera side reminding him that the man in front of him truly is no threat. Something that says he’s friendly.

His body relaxes a bit, but he stays on edge and wary. “Stop calling me that name,”

That’s where the doctor seems to be confused. “That’s... your name, is it not?”

“No,” Claus spits, “it isn’t. It’s Claus.”

“Claus? You remember?” Dr. Andonuts exclaims, seemingly joyed by the spiteful chimera in front of him. “The helmet! That’s it!”

The mention of his helmet sends a thrill of panic through him, but instead turns it into fury. “You were gonna put it back on me, weren’t you?! You were gonna make me into... into...”

Claus faulters a bit at the look on the doctor’s face.

“I’m sorry, my boy,” he says, “I don’t have a choice in this matter either. I’m as captive as you, unfortunately.”

Claus forces his eyes shut and shakes his head quickly, beginning to struggle and kick again. “Let me go! Let me fucking go!”

Dr. Andonuts purses his lips. “I’m sorry, I truly am. I’ve fixed up any injuries you have, and tried to modify your helmet a bit...”

Claus makes an electric hum in his throat sounding like the snarl of a dog. “I don’t want to go back to that hell. I want to go home! I just want to go home... I want to see my brother again. I want to see my father...” His voice drops to a pathetic whisper. “I want to see my mom.”

The old man’s face twists to a face of pity. “Claus... it’ll be okay. Once the helmet is on you won’t have to feel or think.”

“Do you think that makes me feel any better?” Claus snaps. “Being out of control yet again? I’d rather you kill me.”

The room stays silent for a while, until he hears the doctor sigh, and picking up the helmet. Claus snarls again and struggles. “When I come back, I’ll make your life hell,”

“I know,” he replies simply.

All Claus sees before he goes back to being the Masked Man is pity.

* * *

It was about five in the afternoon now. Kumatora had passed out of exhaustion, which isn’t that much of a surprise to Claus, considering how Lucas had described her sleeping routine of “not at all.” He kind of thanks that it happened, though - Kumatora was giving him stares that guarantees she’ll interrogate him about his lack of old self.

That was the good part of his day so far.

Melody seemed indifferent, though a bit concerned that she wouldn’t be comfortable. He guesses she’s used to this type of thing, considering her somewhat annoyed look at her.

He hasn’t gone outside to visit Ultimate yet, namely because of his fear of being seen by any nearby citizens.

It was mainly uneventful, though he insisted on helping with general chores and things to do. Melody was equally insistent that he doesn’t, as he’s a guest.

He kind of learned long ago that you’d just do the work anyway instead of risking a consequence.

His darker thoughts are snapped away as he hears the barking of a dog coming from outside of the castle.

Specifically, Boney’s.

It lets him enter the scene just in time to see Ultimate and Lucas, ready to battle, and Boney by Lucas’ side.

That’s the not so good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so i forgot what originally i was gonna do with kumatora passing out so i improvised lmao sorry


	6. You’ve Killed the Saint in Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas finds out that the doctor and his brother have a history together.  
> Alternatively, a minor scare turns to a world shattering occurrence for his older brother and his entire village.  
> Title from Unsainted by Slipknot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am SO sorry for not posting this earlier whoops!! again i’ve been unable to actually focus on anything productive and the most i did was draw warrior cats  
> anyway!!! please share and kudos hnngh im a thirsty little flower you need to water me with your hits and kudos

Face to face with one of his biggest night terrors, he realizes that this time he won’t survive.

It had been a simple morning - he had barely slept, instead opting to visit his brother’s grave, despite the matter of him being alive and well.

He went to visit him, after finally convincing his dad that he’d be alright, and he landed right in the middle of a battle with a large, fuschia canine snarling his way.

He hadn’t even realized Boney was with him until he heard his dog letting out a wail of surprise.

So now, here he is, ready to attack the murderous creature in front of him, tail thwapping against the ground in anticipation.

“Ultimate, down.”

The beast obediently lies down, to which Lucas faces where the command had come from - his brother.

“C-Claus?” Lucas sputtered, Boney sounding a thankful bark.

Claus, however, looks stern. “What’s going on?”

“It’s the ultimate chimera, Claus! Why is he here?? I-I thought he was at the facility after I managed to shut him down!”

“He’s not a danger,” Claus says flatly. Lucas is still shaking from the adrenaline of it all, baffled by Claus’ calmness in the situation. “he’s just a bit antsy to see me. I worried him, I think.”

The beast garbles something and practically tramples Claus.

Claus raises a hand from underneath the pile of fur, “See? Just a big old sweetheart.”

Lucas is even more confused. “You two... _know_ each other??”

“More than that, Lucas,” Claus chuckles, “we practically worked together. When I was sent off was when he started turning into the legends you know him by. Or, personal experience, actually.”

Boney tugs at Lucas’ arm, a silent request to listen to his brother. Lucas doesn’t let his guard down, but still allows himself to relax slightly at knowing nobody is in danger.

Lucas laughs a little nervously, though. “Sorry, he just... surprised me.”

Claus waves a hand as he manages to fend off the assault of licking from an excited chimera. “I think everyone here is. But trust me, he’s harmless.”

The chimera dashes over to Lucas, making the blonde boy stumble backwards and shield himself with an arm. He hears a garbled noise and feels a lick on his arm.

“He says he’s sorry for how he acted at first,” Claus translates. “he wants to get to know you.”

Lucas hesitantly lowers his arm, looking at the sharp eyes of the infamous Ultimate. It cocks it’s head in a friendly greeting, a chirp sounding.

Lucas jumps a bit at the sudden sensation of Claus helping him stand up from behind, keeping an arm close to his chest. Claus guides his brother’s hand to the pink furred snout. As Claus lets go and Lucas lightly pets the creature, Lucas gives an anxious smile.

Claus returns a warm smirk, but the moment is short lived as Lucas gets covered in the slobber of a chimera’s tongue.

Claus laughs a bit as he watches the two, his brother bursting out in his childish giggle, the bird atop Ultimate’s head chirping in match with Ultimate’s trill.

Boney barks at Claus, though, catching his attention as he crouches down to pet his dog. “What’s up, boy?”

Boney borfs a few times. _Where’s Kumatora?_

“She decided to take a nap in the middle of the kitchen. Suddenly.”

Lucas laughs a bit and turns to look at them, still ruffling fuschia fur between his fingers. “That’s Kumatora for you! Duster said Wess had to deal with her recklessness like that _quite_ a lot.”

“She’s a good friend, I can tell.”

Lucas notices an odd look flicker on Claus’ face. “Well, yeah!... why are you looking at me like that?”

Claus’ smirk slightly widens. “Oh, no reason.”

Lucas shrugs it off, noticing a familiar mess of pink hair.

“Hey, Claus, if you tell anyone about that I’ll kick your ass,” she yawns, not noticing Lucas under the pile of teeth and fur.

“I’d like to see you try, kid,” Claus retorts.

“Pretty much everyone knows about your horrible lack of sleep, Kuma,” Lucas adds in. Kumatora jumps a bit at the voice, until she sees him. “When did you get here?!”

“Not too long ago. I got a little surprised by Ultimate, sorry if that woke you up.”

“Like _hell_ I needed to sleep anyway. I have things to do.”

Claus rolls his eyes. “Like what?”

Kumatora huffs playfully. “I was gonna help Duster with something, though. Some sort of training.”

Lucas raises an eyebrow. “Again? I thought Wess sweared off of that.”

Claus chimes in, “Who’s Wess?”

Lucas turns back. “Duster’s dad. He helped us a lot throughout our journey, too.”

“He’s a bit of a nut job, though,” Kumatora adds in.

“Alright,” Claus simply replies, “we should get going, then.”

* * *

Lucas wasn’t sure what we was expecting from Wess, but it sure wasn’t this.

Boney had dragged him when he had caught sight of Wess and his son, and although confused, Lucas followed.

Maybe he had expected to see the training Duster had described. Fighting with his recognizable limp as Wess coached him. Maybe he expected to see them fighting one another, seeing Duster stand up to his old man. He didn’t know what number of things he expected at all.

But seeing the genius doctor Andonuts was _not_ one of them.

Instead of a proper greeting, Boney had run up and bit him before he could even speak.

Wess erupts in laughter as a cartoon-sounding “ _youch_!” comes from the doctor, Boney barking madly at the old man.

“Okay, _okay_ , I get it, you’re still mad about the Ultimate, I’m _sorry_!”

Lucas can’t help but join the laughter, catching Andonuts’ attention.

“Lucas, boy! I haven’t seen you for a while!” He says, prying the dog away from his legs.

“I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

“Well,” Wess chimes in, “we met a few weeks ago, in honesty. Only after the whole second apocalypse did I get to see him in person again.”

“And a pleasure it is!” Andonuts responds. “What brings you here, Lucas?”

“Duster said something about training to Kumatora, so me and Claus tagged along.”

“Training?” Wess raises a brow. “I wonder what gave him that impression. No, I wanted him to meet...”

He trails off for a moment. “ _Claus_?! As in your _brother_?! Missing for _three years_ and died in front of you??”

Lucas flinches a bit, but keeps his fake smile anyway, “Yeah, that’s... that’s him,” he nervously laughs.

Andonuts seems almost afraid, when Lucas looks to him. “Claus is your brother? That... that explains a _lot_... and raises a million more questions...”

Now it’s Lucas’ turn to be confused. “Wait... you know him?”

Boney barks a confused sound, then a louder alert to Lucas. He turns to see Kumatora and Claus catching up to him, a ball of pink fur not far behind.

“Boney, what was that about? We almost got thrown off track!” Kumatora asks, sounding slightly exasperated.

“This isn’t even the right...” Claus starts, slowly fading off to his continued “...path.”

Lucas follows his brother’s line of vision - towards the world-known scientist.

The air is oddly tense as Claus glares at him, juxtaposed by a friendly tail wag from Ultimate.

“You’re... _alive_?” Is all Claus manages, his voice flattening and expression becoming that of indifference.

“I can ask you something similar,” the doctor chuckles nervously, “but... to answer, yes, I am,”

Claus moves in a flash of light, face twisting to that of animalistic rage, his arm transforming under his jacket to a familiar hissing cannon. The grip he has on the old man has his knuckles white.

“What was it I said that time ago? _When I come back, I’ll make your life hell_? You saw me at my weakest, and you did nothing. You did _nothing_!” He spits, even Ultimate flinching at the volume and venom in his voice.

“Claus, you have to understand!” The old man replies shakily, “I wanted to help you! I wanted you to not suffer through what you did!”

“Then why didn’t you help me?!” Claus snarls, aiming his cannon arm at Andonuts’ figure.

“Because! Because...” He falters slightly.

Claus looks at the old man for a moment, before lowering his cannon, slowly changing to a low humming. “Because you couldn’t,” he says, soft and defeated.

Claus lets go of his grip entirely, taking a few steps back and lowering his head. “I’m... I’m sorry.”

Andonuts seems a bit frazzled, but still attempts to claw a hand through one of his curls of wild white hair. “I don’t blame you for being angry, boy. Porky seems to treat everybody with the same disgusting behavior and uses them for his gain. I was just another one of his pawns.”

Finally, it feels like, Lucas snaps himself out of shock. “You both know each other? Claus? What’s going on??”

Claus looks to the doctor and back to his little brother. “We... have a bit of history.”

“Lucas, my boy, do you remember how I was the head of managing and creating chimeras for the army?”

Ultimate whines a bit, and it clicks into place. “He was your biggest project, wasn’t he?”

“I’m afraid so...” Andonuts replies. “I wanted to help him, I really did... but I was under the orders of King Pork himself.”

Kumatora finally chimes in. “Maybe I should’ve stayed away like Duster asked...”

Wess lets out a hearty laugh, despite the atmosphere. “I knew my kid wouldn’t invite you! You just always get yourself into bad situations, it seems!”

Kumatora rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “I wanted to see how he learned to use wall staples! Not almost witnessing a guy kill an old man!”

Lucas sighs a bit before looking over at Kumatora. “In that case, at this point I’d rather go home and stay with my dad.”

Andonuts makes a line with his lips, “That might not be the best idea...”

Kumatora looks over at him. “Why’s that?”

“They spotted a pigmask there. And from the word of it, they’re looming around looking for somebody.”


	7. Like Looking Through A Fogged Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old story told through a new way. A new friend from an old one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys. it’s been fucking forever lmao. so i was gonna make this a two part chapter?? then i just??? decided against it. idk why. for the sake of plot, in this universe fuel wasn’t present when flint and the boys learned that hinawa was dead, and to establish a relationship thing here fuel was their best friend although usually was with claus bc lucas is a bit softer and isn’t as rambunctious as his brother.  
> also yes. claus in this au is ALSO his older brother by 3 years. that good? yeah ok  
> onto the story :D
> 
> title from Kids by MGMT

About three and a half years ago, a boy was told to stay indoors and away from his best friends, two brothers in his village that had the liveliest dynamic of all.

When he asked his father why he had to stay indoors, his old man only replied with “it’s too dangerous,” and requests to stop bugging him about it. Part of the boy wondered if his father even cared that he almost died earlier. It bugged the boy to no end to not have an answer.

He got a bit of word from others that evening that his best friends HAD come back, albeit slightly injured and freezing.

Later, he snuck out of the house to find out what was going on. It was dark out by then, and the village had gone quieter than usual, a sense of solemn origin through the air. The first few things he noticed was how _exhausted_ everyone looked. They had those recognizable dark circles under their eyes, however it didn’t look or seem like it was from lack of sleep.

It almost looked like grief.

Then he noticed how the flowers had been picked from their rightful spots around the village. The small patch of sunflowers that had been there had been replanted entirely.

He finally saw how the two kids he was looking for were in the center of the village, simply sitting with a dog happily thumping its tail, looking solemn. As if they were waiting for somebody, or anything. For what, the boy didn’t know.

But it didn’t seem as if it was a happy waiting.

The boy didn’t want to disturb the trio, of course. Something told him something happened that he wasn’t told about. Something big. So he stays still, simply watching curiously at his two friends.

They were talking, he can hear, but about what he can’t make out. It was softer than the two had always talked before, even with one of them being known as the shyest kid in the Nowhere Lands.

The boy finally decided to get closer and listen in, to find out what they’re talking about.

He manages to hide behind a bush, close enough to understand.

“...scared me,” the meek brother speaks, “I don’t know if he’ll be that way with us... I don’t want him to...”

“Dad wouldn’t hurt you... he was just... stressed tonight, and, didn’t have Mom to calm him down...”

“I miss her...”

They’re quiet for a while.

“Me too, Lucas. Me too.”

“Why did she have to go? She said she’d be with us until the end...”

Lucas sniffled a bit, and the boy then knew exactly what happened.

“Hinawa’s dead, isn’t she?”

Claus turns to meet Fuel crawling out from his spot in the bushes. The two brothers jump at his voice and Lucas seems to be unable to hold back his tears anymore.

Claus, however, simply lowers his head a bit. “They... found her with a Drago’s tooth through her heart.”

Fuel stays quiet and lowers his head as well in respect. Lucas’ crying is the only sound left in the village.

“We could’ve died too,” Lucas fills the silent air, mixed with sobs, “she _saved us. Bought us time_ so we could escape before...”

“Before the drago killed either of us,” Claus finishes. “we ran blindly into the forest and slipped into the river... it led us closer here, and Tessie managed to find us before we froze.”

Fuel walks closer to the three, sitting across from Boney, who lets out a gentle whine. “I’m so sorry...”

“It’s not your fault,” Claus says. His voice is slightly shaking. “It’s that _Drago’s_.”

The group stays quiet for a while, the sound of the crickets and general nature filling the village, and Lucas gaining his composure.

“How did your dad react?”

Lucas flinches back a bit, and Claus slightly grimaced. Claus responds, “Not well, he... attacked Ollie and Abbot with a stick from the fire. They both got injured pretty bad...”

“Are you two okay?” Fuel asks worriedly. Claus looks over to his brother, who is gently petting the large dog in his lap, before looking back to Fuel.

“Nothing happened to us... we just got a few scratches from the river and had to warm up for a while... so we’re okay. At least, literally speaking...”

Fuel nods as Claus continues, “We’ve been waiting here for Dad, but... we have the feeling he’s gonna be in the jail for the night... but we don’t know where to go. Going home doesn’t feel... right.”

Fuel looks between the two and takes a deep breath, taking in the information he’s gotten. “Going home would be the best option, I think,” he finally says, “my dad always said that those who pass watch over you from the stars and protect you in your dreams... I’m sure Hinawa will too.”

Lucas swipes an arm over his eyes, wiping away tears starting to pool. “Yeah, we... we should go back.”

Claus reluctantly nods after a few moments of silence.

“We can talk tomorrow,” Claus says to Fuel.

Fuel nods. “I hope we can.”

* * *

Today, the boy named Fuel has yet to talk to the ginger boy.

A while ago, Lucas had left the village with a princess and the son of Wess, along with his dog, on some sort of quest that Fuel didn’t know. Something including the happy boxes, he thinks. He wasn’t informed of it until recently where Flint had let it slip while talking to his dad.

“Lucas is back?” Fuel had rushed to join the conversation, at the mention of his friend’s name.

Flint puts his face in his hand, though. “Ugh, I’m not meant to be telling you that! Why am I doing it??”

Lighter chuckles a bit. “It’s been on the down-low for a while, man, you’re eager to share. I’ve seen him and those two others in public before, I’m surprised that it’s a secret to some at all!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Fuel asks.

“Because if I did, you’d go out looking for them, and end up getting in trouble or hurt.”

Fuel huffs. “You’re right, but I still don’t appreciate it!”

Lighter and Flint share a laugh for a moment before Fuel speaks up again. “Wait, what if they’re in danger too? There was that _pigmask_ outside!”

Flint chokes on his mug of coffee. “Shit, he’s right.”

Lighter turns to his son. “Fuel, stay here, there’s no way you’re going out there and risking your safety.”

Lighter then realizes his son isn’t even there, and already closing the door behind him.

Flint just laughs and takes another sip of his drink, “Him and Claus haven’t changed at all, huh?”

Fuel doesn’t stay long enough to hear what his dad replied with. He was already off.

The village, though, was... eerily empty. Like the night he found out about Hinawa. It stops him in his tracks, and for once, makes him rethink his decision.

People seem incredibly panicked as he slows and walks. Aware of every movement around them. Like they expect someone to attack any minute, even in the bright of day.

Speaking of which, a familiar dog does so to him, making him yelp and fall down.

“Boney!” Fuel scolds lightly, “you scared me! Give me a warning next time!”

Boney barks something, and Fuel ruffles the dogs’ fur in affection as he’s covered with sloppy licks.

“Boney! Come back!” Lucas’ voice calls, and Fuel perks up immediately.

“Lucas??” Fuel calls back, seeing his old friend come into view along with an unfamiliar figure covered by his jacket.

“Fuel?” Lucas asks, Boney crawling out of the way so he can see.

“Lucas!” Fuel returns, jumping to his feet and grabbing Lucas in a tight hug. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in an eternity! Why didn’t you come and see me earlier??”

Lucas nervously laughs, “We had some things pop up, and I got a little distracted...”

Fuel pulls away from his own hug, and looks over to the figure standing slightly behind Lucas. “Who’s that? A friend you made?”

The kid didn’t seem like an old friend at all. A bit taller than Lucas, a large black and white jacket with his hands in his pockets and hood up, orange pants and shin-high boots.

Even though nothing about the appearance is familiar, he still seems so.

“Oh, uh,” Lucas’ smile drops as he looks over to the other, “you haven’t heard?”

“Heard what?”

“Luc,” the other urges quietly, “I don’t think it’s good to be out in the open.”

“Luc?” Fuel echoes, “you only ever let Flint and Claus call you that. Are you a family member?”

The figure flinches a pinch, before meekly responding, “Please, stop asking questions...”

Fuel, however, doesn’t listen. “Why? How come you’re so nervous? There’s nothing to worry about, I’m friendly.”

The other seems irritated, “Stop,”

“I’m just asking questions!”

“I don’t want to talk,” his voice rises, and he takes a step back.

Lucas intervenes, “Fuel, please stop, he’s... not okay with answering,”

Fuel still doesn’t listen. “I don’t see the problem, though,”

Lucas’ friend seems to shrink down to hide himself in his jacket. Fuel steps closer to him, not getting the hint. “Come on, you’re like Lucas when he was young!”

Lucas looks over to his friend with worry, before his focus is on something behind Fuel. Before he can turn to look, he’s grabbed and pulled into a shaded alley, with a cold, metal hand clamped over his mouth.

He tries to kick or scream, but it’s muted by whoever is holding him, his attempts followed with an urgent hush. He sees the captor’s other hand pointing outwards, so he follows the line of vision, and sees-

_The pigmask._

He quiets entirely as the pigmask looks around, looking confused, as it continues past them, looking for something.

Fuel turns finally to look at who holds him still. He sees a mess of ginger hair, oddly familiar, and an eye covered with an eyepatch, other arm moved from his gesture to holding Lucas’ side.

Lucas looks to the other, sharing a sharp nod after a moment, and Fuel is let go. He spins around to face Lucas and the stranger.

“Who are you...?” Fuel asks first. The stranger laughs a little bit before roughly running a hand through his hair, making an oddly familiar shape, and...

“Don’t you remember one of your best friends?”

“Claus?!”

Lucas sighs, sounding incredibly relieved of major stress. “Oh my God, please let this be the worst of it,”

Claus laughs a bit, before ruffling his brother’s hair, “I lasted longer than last time, at least.”

Fuel doesn’t pay too much attention to the two, instead embracing Claus in a hug even tighter than the one he gave to Lucas.

“But, you, he, Flint, I, she, _what_?!” Fuel spits out. “ _How_ are you... _why_ are you??”

“I guess I should explain, huh?” Claus responds with a smirk. “I owe an explanation to Dad too.Let’s head home, Lucas, Fuel, and I’ll explain as much as I can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m so sorry it took so long to post this 💔 the next chapter will be mostly about the pigmask bc trust me he’s important to the story


	8. Penniless and Nameless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That pigmask is going to pay.
> 
> Lucas’ POV. Title from Creature Comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i kind of forgot that i was going to post this??? and then i found it in my files while i was doing a purge and was like YOOOO and yeah. two others are wip atm but i’m not sure which will be posted next. stay tuned though, and happy new year!

_Where are you going, Lucas?_

Lucas was getting to his feet when he heard the familiar gravelly voice.

“Charcoal?” Lucas says, catching Fuel and Claus’ attention. The trio look up above them to see a long snout of black scales gently breathing smoke.

Fuel practically jumps out of his skin into Claus’ arms, holding onto him like a child. Claus, however, stays mostly still besides a bat of his eye and a smirk at Fuel.

“Charcoal, how long have you been up there?” Lucas asks.

_Worry not, I’ve been here not long. I was enjoying a flight when I spotted you and your friends._

“Oh! You guys haven’t met, have you?” Lucas turns to his brother and friend.

Claus shakes his head slightly while Fuel is practically behind Claus and shaking his head frantically.

“Claus and Fuel, this is Charcoal. He’s the supposed dark dragon, but he’s pretty friendly.”

“ _The dark dragon_?!” Fuel finally snaps, a squeak in his voice. Claus looks slightly amused.

Lucas lightly pats the dragon’s nose, and looks back up at him. “It’s a long story, Fuel. I’ll tell you later.”

_I see that your village is under invasion, is it not?_

“No, it’s not,” Claus cuts in. “It’s one of those... pigmasks.”

_I see, Charcoal says, would you need any help with the situation?_

Lucas looks back to Claus, “You can understand him too?”

Claus nods. “I learned to master a lot of my psychic communication. Also, now that you mention it, Charcoal...”

Lucas could almost see what Claus was plotting, before his brother finishes, “I would appreciate if I could question it.”

Claus’ smirk looks somewhat malicious as he puts a psychic wall between his conversation with Charcoal. Lucas grows a bit of concern.

Charcoal then stands tall, breaking the barrier between the brothers to say, _Alright, he is down at the edge of the village - shall I corner him there?_

Claus nods as Charcoal flaps his wings, wind blowing on the trio as the dragon picks up height and soars off.

“We’d better follow him,” Claus says simply, putting his hands in his pockets and strolling casually out of the faux alleyway.

Fuel turns to Lucas. “This is just... _normal_ for you, or something??”

Lucas laughs a bit sheepishly. “Yeah, pretty much. We should follow too, I don’t want Charcoal to go overboard...”

Fuel nods as the two begin to follow Claus.

* * *

Lucas stands behind the tree on the stray path. A familiar pink-colored creature is wandering there, continuing its search for something unknown. Boney stays next to him, growling softly, as the two watch the pigmask.

Lucas turns to Boney, and speaks through psi, You go and surprise him, I’ll come from behind.

Boney’s small yip isn’t translatable, but it obviously means he understands.

_3..._

_2..._

_Now!_

Boney jumps out and growls and snarls at the pigmask, making it stumble backwards. Lucas comes from behind and quickly moves, “PK Freeze!”

The pigmask startles, but freezes in place, the blue diamonds dissipating around it.

“Sorry,” Lucas says quickly, “but we need to know why you’re here.”

Claus finally reveals himself, going to stand next to his brother. He sneers and his wings expand, making Lucas jump back.

“Fassad is behind this, isn’t he? He sent you to find me?” Claus barks, “Tell him it worked, if you’re still able to speak after I’m through.”

The pigmask stays silent, trying to break the freeze. It manages to break free of it, stumbling backwards.

Lucas looks over to his brother, who looks as angry as he did with Andonuts.

“Better get squealing,” He sneers. “I still have authority over _all_ of you pieces of shit!”

The pigmask steps back a few times, before yelling, “PK Starstorm!”

Lucas and Claus see the familiar attack against them, knocking them down as their bodies begin to ache.

Lucas looks to Claus. “Pigmasks have _psi_?!”

Claus looks taken aback, confusion overtaking his previous rage. “N-No, they don’t,”

As the Pigmask is running away, Lucas connects the dots.

“ _Kumatora_!”

Claus and Lucas are back up on their feet in no time to catch their supposed friend.

Lucas is lagging behind a bit, but they both can see the pigmask attempting to shake them off her tail. Eventually, though, while she’s looking back at the brothers, Charcoal lands in front of her. Distracted, she runs right into the scaled beast, turning around in a crawl to face her attackers.

“I thought you were a friend,” Claus says, slowly approaching her, “but you’re just a bitch. You don’t deserve _anything_ , _especially_ not a quadrant with my brother,” he’s snarling.

Lucas doesn’t understand the last part, much less why he said it, watching as the pigmask raises a hand in defense. Claus continues approaching, spewing cruel messages, before he kneels before her.

“Now take off that fucking mask.”

She doesn’t, staying still and dead silent.

Claus snarls again, and takes it off for her, to reveal-

Not Kumatora.

Claus freezes along with Lucas, anger and hurt completely gone from the both of them.

Lucas doesn’t know who it is. He’s obviously not a girl, for starters. He’s got his hair in a tight, thin braid at the back, and he’s grimacing in anticipation, sharp black eyebrows over his eyes in a worried anticipated crease.

“Who are you...?” Claus’ voice is soft, confused.

The boy cracks an eye open at the chimera in front of him. “I don’t mean to hurt you, royal promise,”

Lucas cuts in. “We won’t hurt you either, please tell us who you are.”

The boy lowers his arm. “My name is Pū, I am the prince of Dalaam, Chommo.”

“Dalaam?” The brothers echo in unison.

“More importantly, why are you here?” Claus asks.

“Master Ness sent me,” Pū responds, clearly wary but not ready to fight like he was before. “I am looking for the Saturns, a race of peaceful creatures. I mean no harm to you nor them,”

“Master Ness?...” Claus echoes, softly, looking away for a moment before returning to face Pū. “Why were you dressed like a pigmask?”

“Buzz Buzz ordered Master Ness so, and thereby I follow command.”

Claus and Lucas share a look for a moment, before Lucas looks back to Pū. “Mr Saturns? I know them! I can take you there.”

Claus looks over to his brother. “You’re just gonna trust him?? How do we know he’s not lying about all of this?? What if he’s some sort of spy for Fassad?”

Pū interrupts, “Pray tell, what reason would I have to lie about such? Master Ness has ordered me and I am in debt to him. As such I wish no ill upon those he does not either. Thank you for your kindness, blonde one, I would like to take your offer.”

“You can call me Lucas,” Lucas says, looking over to Claus, “This is Claus.”

Claus backs up so Pū can stand up and bow respectfully.

Fuel finally catches up to them, sliding to a stop in the gravelly path, panting. “You guys! You can’t just run off like that! I’m not a hyperactive 11-year-old any more!”

Claus snickers lightheartedly. “Nor am I, yet I still outran you.”

Fuel scoffs playfully, then catches sight of Pū. “Who’s _that_?”

“I am Prince Pū of Dalaam.”

Fuel keeps a straight face for a moment, then snickers, getting a stick thrown at him from Claus.

Lucas laughs a bit as Fuel throws it back to Claus, who catches it easily without even looking. Pū simply looks confused, keeping up a somewhat professional poise to him as he stands jn wait.

“As much as I do find this entertaining,” Pū interrupts, “I do wish to follow Lucas to the Saturns. Is now a good time?”

Lucas turns to him and nods. “Yeah! You up for riding on a dragon?”

Charcoal spreads his wings, as if to show them off to the prince, to which he gets a curt nod. “Pardon my language, but _hell_ yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for how short this chapter is. it’s a little rushed and i lost inspiration a bit at the end in favor of hyperfocusing on a davekat fic lmao


End file.
